The two Knicks named to the starting lineup of the All-Star Game next month have their eyes on also joining Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe in a far more historical classification.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns became the first Knicks teammates to be tabbed as starters for the Eastern Conference — for the Feb. 26 showcase event in San Francisco — since Clyde and The Pearl did so five decades earlier in 1975.
Of course, that Hall of Fame duo also comprised the starting backcourt for the Knicks on the franchise’s most recent NBA championship squad two years before that in 1973.
“For sure, it’s a huge honor to be selected to the All-Star team. All-Star selections are an amazing honor. But rings are cooler, so we’ll try to do that,” Towns said after practice Friday in Tarrytown. “It’s super special to even be mentioned with names like that.
“I grew up in this area [in New Jersey] and to have my name close to their names is something you just dream about when you’re young. So I’m super-honored, to say the least. And I’m just really happy to have the opportunity to represent my teammates because they’re the reason that we’re able to do this.
The 29-year-old Towns, who has scored 25.0 points per game and ranks second in the NBA in rebounds (13.9), will be making his first career start among five All-Star appearances.
Brunson received his initial All-Star nod as a reserve for the East one year ago.
“It means a lot,” Brunson said when asked about the connection to Frazier and Monroe. “It’s been a while for this organization. I’m just happy I was able to do it. I can’t really put it into words. It’s an honor.”
The 28-year-old Brunson’s father, Rick, is both a former player and a current assistant coach with the Knicks.
Jalen Brunson said he has a “really cool” relationship with Frazier, the greatest point guard in team history and a fan favorite as the team’s iconic longtime TV analyst.
“When we first had him on the [”Roommates”] podcast [with teammate Josh Hart], I learned a lot about him,” Brunson said of Frazier. “We’ve talked a lot off camera, as well. To hear his experience and everything, and to see just how competitive he can be, it’s really cool [to have] that relationship with someone like that who means so much to the city.”
Like Towns, Brunson also credited the Knicks’ winning record (29-16) ahead of Saturday’s game against the surging Kings — the opener of a five-game homestand — for his personal recognition.
Brunson will start alongside Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell in the East’s backcourt after edging out Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, the leading vote-getter at the position in the fan balloting.
“I knew [starting] was a possibility, but didn’t get my hopes up too high. Very thankful,” said Brunson, who is averaging 26.0 points and a career-best 7.3 assists per game. “Whenever an award like this happens, it’s individual, but it’s a team award.
“I wouldn’t be here if we weren’t in the position that we are now … I’m very thankful to the fans and to the players and coaches, as well. It’s an honor I don’t take lightly.”
Tom Thibodeau echoed the team concept for the Towns/Brunson honor, something he also noted as a strength of the Knicks’ title-winning squads of the ’70s.
“It is great. And I mentioned this to [team president] Leon [Rose] and Wes [VP William Wesley] last night, and they’ve done a great job of making this attractive for all the players in this league,” Thibodeau said.
“We have a great history. And I think to have Walt and Pearl recognized is special, but it’s been going on since Leon and Wes have been here. To bring back our former players, and certainly what Walt and Earl and those teams did, we’re very proud of, and so it’s sort of neat to have them here and to share in it with Jalen and KAT.”